The discussion of prior art within this specification is to assist the addressee to understand the invention and is not an admission to the extent of the common general knowledge in the field of the invention and is included without prejudice.
It is known to link gaming machines to provide a number of additional functionalities. This includes the ability to control the awarding of a prize, as the pool of funds is greater and the amount of funds available is known rather than having to be estimated. Another known purpose of interlinking gaming machines is to provide secondary gaming such as a linked jackpot. In such a system, a central display typically provides the players with a visual indication of a presently available jackpot prize which is increased incrementally as the players operate the interlinked gaming machines. It is known by the players that the prize will be awarded when it reaches a secret, randomly selected value that is less than a predetermined limit value. The limit value is often also visually indicated to the players by means of the display.
The use of such functionality is intended to attract players to play the machines in the hope of winning the jackpot. However, with the increased sophistication of players and their increased exposure to such systems, the systems' ability to maintain players' interest has diminished.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or at least substantially ameliorate, one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art or at least to provide a useful alternative.